TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu will be sworn in as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, which will see Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan and the TDP supremo's son Nara Lokesh too take oath as ministers in the Cabinet.
Odisha too will witness the swearing-in of Mohan Charan Majhi as the Chief Minister, the first time a BJP leader is helming the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several Union Ministers, including Amit Shah, are likely to attend the ceremonies in both Andhra and Odisha.
Naidu will take oath at 11.27 am near Gannavaram Airport in Kesarapalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada. Prime Minister Modi is expected to arrive at Gannavaram Airport by 10.40 am and reach the venue by 10.55 am. He is likely to depart for Bhubaneswar at 12.45 pm.
Though there is no official confirmation yet, reports indicate that Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan will be the Deputy Chief Minister in the new Cabinet. Janasena is being offered three cabinet berths and the BJP one.
In the 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the cabinet can have 6 ministers, including the chief minister. "With all your cooperation, I am swearing in tomorrow (as the CM) and I would like to thank you all for that. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is coming for the swearing-in ceremony, Naidu said after being elected the leader of NDA's legislative team.
The NDA in Andhra Pradesh, comprising TDP, BJP and Janasena, secured a brute majority in the Assembly with 164 seats.
In Odisha, BJP's tribal leader and four-time MLA Mohan Charan Majhi was elected to be the state's first BJP chief minister on Tuesday. Interestingly, Majhi's name featured nowhere in the list of probable candidates for the post. Besides Majhi, six-time legislator Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, a debutant MLA, have been made deputy chief ministers.
"Delighted to announce that Shri Mohan Charan Majhi has been elected unanimously as the leader of Odisha BJP Legislature Party. He is a young and dynamic party karyakarta who will take the state forward on road to progress and prosperity as the new Chief Minister of Odisha. Many congratulations to him," Singh said on X.
The chief whip of the BJP in the previous assembly, Mahji was elected to the assembly in recently held elections for the fourth time. He defeated Mina Majhi of the BJD from the Keonjhar assembly constituency.
